Paul O’Grady’s colleagues on The Love Of Dogs fondly recall his desperation to rehome every animal and admit crew would ‘never stop laughing’ whenever he filmed his scenes
Paul O’Grady was desperate to find homes for every animal he worked with while filming his hit ITV show For The Love Of Dogs, a show insider has claimed.
The beloved comedian died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ in March this year at the age of 67.
The animal lover was known for presenting For The Love Of Dogs, which was filmed at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
The home’s head of animal behaviour Ali Taylor has now revealed to The Mirror what life was like filming with Paul behind the scenes.
Ali said that the crew could ‘never stop laughing’ when filming scenes – and that Paul would try to take a new dog home with him every episode.
Animal lover: Paul O’Grady would ‘try to steal’ animals while filming his hit ITV show For The Love Of Dogs, a show insider has claimed
Couple: Paul O’Grady died peacefully at his home moments after lighting a spliff, his husband Andre Portasio (pictured together) has claimed
She added: ‘He’d be trying to steal puppies. Every week he’d fall in love with a new dog and was constantly roping in friends, family, even the crew to re-home animals.
‘He did so much to highlight the plight of rescue animals. We all miss him terribly.’
It comes after Paul’s husband revealed what happened in the beloved presenter’s final moments.
Andre Portasio says the 67-year-old was smoking a roll of cannabis when he tragically died in March this year.
The Brazilian claimed that the late comedian had gone into the kitchen to make a ‘cup of tea’, which was their secret code for rolling a spliff, the Sun reports.
He then returned with the doobie before settling down in a chair at their Kent home and slipping away.
Andre revealed his husband’s last moments at a start-studded memorial for the TV legend, during which he also regaled them with anecdotes about his life.
Speaking to an audience of Paul’s close friends and colleagues, Andre revealed the TV star had had a ‘very ordinary day’ before he died
Among the audience on Wednesday night were some of Paul’s closest friends and colleagues, including Alan Car, Amanda Holden and Dawn French, with onlookers praising the ‘surprisingly candid’ and ‘very moving speech’.
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Speaking about the day of Paul’s passing, Andre said: ‘We’d had a very ordinary day, just watching TV together at home, when Paul said he wanted to make a ‘cup of tea,’ and that was our little code for rolling a spliff.
‘So Paul went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, brought it back, lit it and started smoking it – and that was our last time together, the last thing we did. He passed away there in his chair.’
Andre also told the audience at the Bloomsbury Ballroom amusing tales form his life that left them laughing, while Julian Clary regaled them with a time they an eventful meal at Paul’s house.
Julian joked: ‘I went over to Paul’s for dinner, and he served me pumpkin soup. After that, the evening got a bit a wild – and I can’t remember very much.
‘The next day, Paul called me and said, ‘How did you find the soup?’ and laughed hysterically.
‘God knows what he’d put in it!’
The moving yet funny memorial to the comedian was in keeping with how the Lily Savage star has been remembered since his ‘unexpected but peaceful’ passing on March 28, this year. It was later revealed he died from a cardiac arrhythmia.
At the time of his death Paul had just finished making the 11th series of his ITV show For the Love of Dogs, and had completed a UK tour of Annie, The Musical in which he played Miss Hannigan.
Alan Carr and Amanda Holden (pictured) were among the guests at the Paul O’Grady memorial event on Wednesday
The event saw people come together to remember the comedian with a night of anecdotes and tales about his life
Andre paid tribute to Paul after his death, saying he would be ‘greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion’
Speaking at the time, Andre said his husband would be ‘greatly missed by his loved ones, friends, family, animals and all those who enjoyed his humour, wit and compassion’.
Born in Birkenhead on the Wirral, Merseyside, he later adopted Kent as his home for more than 20 years.
At his private funeral in April guests were treated to clips of his best loved shows and gags, while there were also giggles when the church’s organ went out of tune during hymn.
READ MORE HERE: ‘My pup salutes you!’: Dog lovers pay tribute to Paul O’Grady after fans lined the streets of home town Birkenhead as TV star was laid to rest
The private funeral for friends, family, loved-ones and stars including Ronnie Wood, Alan Carr and Jo Brand was held at St Rumwold’s Church in the village of Bonnington in Kent.
The service featured a series of personal tributes to the entertainer, including a bronze statue of his beloved late dog Buster that had been placed on a leopard-print throw.
The Salvation Army Band played songs such as Tomorrow from the musical Annie – in which Paul was starring in a touring production at the time of his death. Other musical choices included the theme from British television drama series Upstairs Downstairs and Meditation from the opera Thais by French composer Jules Massenet.
The service was conducted by the Reverend Canon Roger Martin before mourners went to a wake at Port Lympne Safari Park.
The popular comedian and presenter, who found fame as his drag alter-ego Lily Savage and whose For the Love of Dogs TV show was watched by millions, made his final journey flanked by a ‘dogs guard of honour’.
A floral wreath in the shape of O’Grady’s late pooch Buster, who died from cancer in 2009, was pictured leaning against his coffin as it made its way to the Grade-II listed St Rumwold’s church.
O’Grady’s daughter Sharyn Mousley donned a black face covering as she walked into the service alongside a young man, believed to be the comedian’s grandson, who was holding a Lily Savage wig.
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